Delhi air quality worsens way before Diwali

Bad news for Delhiites. The air quality, that has given nightmares to the citizens of Delhi for the past few years, has returned to haunt them. The stubble burning of crops, locally named ‘Parali’, has officially begun in the states of Punjab and Haryana. For those unaware, stubble burning is the immediate burning of the straw stubble that is left after the crops like wheat have been harvested.

While this is a cheap way of laying the ground open for the next crop, stubble burning or Parali causes a lot of pollution. The states of Punjab and Haryana being close to Delhi, their stubble burning wreaks havoc on the national capital, engulfing it into a thick, toxic smog for the past 3 years.

According to the guidelines as laid by NGT and Central Pollution Control Board,  the Air Quality Index gives an indication of the apparent air quality of the concerned region. Following scales determine how good the air quality would be:-

• 0-50:- Great
• 51-100:- Good
• 101-200:- Satisfactory
• 201-300:- Poor
• 301-400:- Dangerous
• 401-500:- Severe

In case of NCR, the quality has already started deteriorating right in mid October. The air quality as measured at Delhi’s ITI in Jahangirpuri is reason enough to worry about, for the figures reach to 235, which is without doubt poor air quality. The air quality measured at Anand Vihar and Mandir Marg are no better, as both are closing in on the danger mark of 200.

To make matters worse, even as the governments of Punjab and Haryana have decided to enforce strict measures on stubble burning, the farmers have decided to defy the dictum and continue with their job, even if it means putting the lives of millions in jeopardy:-

So why is this deteriorating air quality being talked about right now? Because the month of October is almost over, and the Diwali festival is more than 20 days away. So inadvertently, the current situation has also exposed the hashtag activism that made a scapegoat of Diwali for the smog.  This also goes on to prove that the so called activism for environment is nothing but a systematic, devious anti Hindu propaganda.

Matters came to a head when even the then bench of Supreme Court of India buckled to the bullying of these liberals and issued a blanket ban on the sale of firecrackers, even though this was a massive failure. When even the Pollution Control Board gave a clean chit to firecrackers, that fell on deaf ears, since agenda reigns supreme!

Interestingly, nobody has the answer to how is smoke generated in four hours of cracker bursting for a single day more harmful and dangerous than 364 days of continuous pollution caused in the capital by congested vehicles, rampant construction, shoddy supervision of waste management? Even basic science would deem this comparison illogical, but oh dear liberals!

These seasonal environmentalists would wake up only when a Hindu festival is drawing close. Water conservation is remembered only in festivals like Holi, animal rights only in festivals like Jallikattu, women empowerment only when Teej, Karwa Chauth or Raksha Bandhan draws close and environmental conservation only when Diwali or Ganesh Chaturthi or Durga Puja crops up.

Even if other religions allegedly indulge in the same, the same liberals or seasonal environmentalists would take a backseat. As such, the current deterioration of air quality is more like a tight slap on their agenda peddling than anything else.